People Are Killing Vulnerable Bee Species Over “Murder Hornet” Fears

So far, Murder Hornets have only been seen in Washington, but people all over the country are concerned. For the very small and specific area in the Pacific Northwest where these hornets have been seen, experts have advised local residents to set up traps and destroy any nests before they can grow. However, this can be dangerous because there is no way to only target these hornets without also targeting other insects, so the traps that people are setting up could end up accidentally killing other vulnerable insects. Doug Yanega, senior museum scientist for the Department of Entomology at UC Riverside told the LA Times that these insects aren’t as threatening as they appear to be, and reminded reporters that the “murder hornets” have not created an armageddon in Asia yet, and they have been there hundreds of years, but they do represent a danger to other insects as an invasive species. The national panic has led to the needless slaughter of native wasps and bees, beneficial insects whose populations are already threatened, said Yanega. Read more.....